Legs – Pass the Ringo

When a new label starts up, it’s great to have a stable band you can rely upon; a band that can write ridiculous hit after ridiculous hit. After spending the last few weeks with Legs, I’m pretty sure that 3-year-old LogLady Records have found just that band. There’s not a bad song on Pass the Ringo, leaving listeners with an astounding record that will carry your spirit for months and beyond.

“Friday Afternoon at the Zoo” is the perfect start to this listen, hazily drifting with bits of gypsy guitar and a slightly atmospherically affected vocal. It’s a patient number, and the slightest bit of tonal change in the vocals really adds a dreamy pop element. But, perfect openers only work if they can be followed by more perfect songs, so Legs are lucky they do just that with “Go Ask Your Mother.” I don’t want to knock the band by any means, but this tune has the energy and passion of early Pains of Being Pure at Heart tracks if you forced them to run a psychedelic decathlon. Guitars here aren’t glistening with as much jangle and distortion, and there’s an organ being used, as opposed to the electronic keyboard element. Altogether, this is the perfect one-two punch to kick off Pass the Ringo.

Personally, I’m partial to the swinging style of “Two Colours.” It’s one of the few tracks that features a female vocal, which adds a different dynamic to the album. Lofty guitars float you in through the opening moment, while the drums continue to rhythmically pound their way into the ringing guitar sound. I’d could take a nice helping of this tune any day for the rest of my life. Another track that uses the vocals of Amelia Adams successfully is the heavier “Time to Face the World.” While Adams maintains that soft pop chanteuse quality, the song here has a muddier sound, in that endearing sort of way. It’s like you’re trudging along through a murky swamp, all the while your mind thinks upon the love of your life. Soft and hard work well in this case.

One of the attributes on Pass the Ringo is that while the narrative remains the same in a musical sense, the band never seems to get stuck wholly in one place, providing enough variance in the album to keep your attention whilst still pushing the envelope artistically. It’s hard to skip a single song, especially when you have great hits like “Don’t Say a Word” hanging about at the end of the record. Something about the guitar sound, and its movement, really makes this just another standout track on a solid outing from Legs. It’s clear to me at this point, that the Oakland group is clearly a band you can rely upon, be you a label or just a consumer of great music. Do yourself a favor and be sure you don’t skip over this most excellent release.